Day-Eater
by KSdees
Summary: Izaya always dip himself in information he shouldn't mess with... well, that was his job definition, but this time the result is unexpected and the person remaining to discover it couldn't help but take responsibility... Shizuo really couldn't deny it.
1. Chapter 1

[I messed with something I shouldn't have, congratulations and farewell]

That message was two days ago, in the middle of the night. Shizuo had saw it in the morning and it had ticked off his nerves. Of course that flea wouldn't be telling the truth, always manipulating it. Always dipping to the waist in things he shouldn't even touch.

So Shizuo ignored it and call it good sense, too. Until now, two days later and the flea hasn't shown up once in his city.

He didn't worry. He didn't pay it much attention at all. And he certainly wasn't thinking about it every night and that it drifts him off to sleep and stayed in his dreams.

In the end he decided he would at least see the corpse, just to confirm he is dead and all. And that is what brought Shizuo here, standing in front of the door after knocking several times, his phone cracked at the edges with the screen showing 13 unaccepted calls.

Despite his efforts, his temper flared, and he broke the expensive apartment door screaming, "Come out flea I came all the way here not to be ignored!"

Inside seemed empty, and Shizuo's heart fell to his feet for some reason.

Then his eyes followed and there was Izaya's clothing including his coat, lying in a heap on the floor. Shizuo walked over to pick it up, his instincts compelling him. There was no smell of blood, no signs of violence, nothing seemed out of the ordinary except those garments.

As Shizuo tucked at the coat picking it up, something moved and a force tucked it back.

Shizuo started a little, then the mass of black fluffy hair Shizuo thought was part of the furs lifted to show big red eyes, then the child Izaya started wailing.

It took Shizuo excruciating fifteen minutes to figure out the child was hungry from two day's abandon and it took all his willpower not to touch the small figure for fear of hurting him, and to find something for him to eat.

After that it was no work at all to calm his temper, because without the annoying wails, signs of two days imprisonment in a place with no people or food he could reach was plain to Shizuo. A body that he suspected was already too frail from the start, eyes red-rimmed with extended crying, the chewing marks on some of the clothing. Guilt welled up in him like a flooding river. The beast of Ikebukuro felt compelled to make up for the lateness.

"Hey... tiny flea, do you want anything... like a toy or something? ...A robot figure?"

Shizuo wasn't very familiar with children in the first place, but he guess the age to be no more than three. Would the flea even be able to speak?

Izaya answered that for him by whispering in a disjointed manner, "Ku- ru- ri-"

His voice was hoarse from crying, but he continued, "Ma- i -ru-"

The tiny, undernourished, annoyingly not annoying form tried to stand up, succeeding but tripping on the first step as he tried to shake off the oversized cloths that were still clinging to his shoulders.

There was a flop, and some food Shizuo had brought spilled onto the floor. Shizuo had thought Izaya ate all of those. He must have hidden some when Shizuo went to find water from the kitchen.

It was messy, but it was impossible for Shizuo to get angry. Somehow the child reminded him of Kasuka...

Shizuo realized he had found himself in a particularly severe predicament. He couldn't leave the child Izaya, but he couldn't bring himself to kill a tiny creature like this either. Could he, Heiwajima Shizuo, take care of a child? Would he break him? Or could he take him to an orphanage or something and be done with this twisted situation the flea had found himself in?

He looked back at Izaya, trying to think of what to do. As soon as he met those large eyes, the thought of an orphanages vanished.

Those eyes were scared, and those tiny hands were shaking, trying without succeeding to gather the food back into its container. As soon as Shizuo looked, those scared eyes fixed on him and it's owner flinched backward, yet not letting go of the food he was gathering.

"Food... sisters..." He squeaked, obviously trying not to cry.

Shizuo didn't know what to do or say, so he slowly approach the trembling figure, trying to comfort him. Izaya's eyes widened and he scrambled back tripping on all the cloth again and hitting hard.

He didn't cry this time, there was a glint in the red eyes that Shizuo almost recognize. But it was different. There was no mirth in it, only fight. Only the strong will the known informant hid, because he knew it was a powerful information, an information that could destroy him and those whose will is based off of in the first place.

"Ore... imouto... mamoru!" The trembling figure announced in that childish voice, staring intently at Shizuo with those eyes glistening from unshed tears.

Shizuo took so many moments to find what to say.

"...Yes, you will protect them, Izaya, for a long time to come. For now they're safe, they have things to eat, okay? Let's get you cleaned up and find some cloth that fits. I'll take care of the spills later."

"Kururi... Mairu... where...?"

"I will take you to them, but for now, come here."

"Don't trust" The raven stated vehemently, backing away even more, and he wouldn't stop until his back went up against the working desk.

Shizuo sighed.

"Now Izaya-kun, don't test my patience..."

A fic just to satisfy my need for fluffiness, the title was taken from a youkai in Natsume Yuujinchou. The whole reason this happened would be explained later (maybe), but for now, thanks for reading :))


	2. Chapter 2

Taking care of someone is harder than Shizuo thought.

He smiled fondly even as he thought that, he smiled a lot lately. So strange.

"Shizuo" He heard a small yet indignant voice called from upstairs, "Shizuo, Shizuo"

Izaya-kun couldn't talk quite so much yet, but that means variations like 'Shizu-chan' doesn't have a chance to happen, too, which is _just_ fine for Shizuo. He poured strawberry milk into a cup, then fetch the chocolate one for the other. Even so young he already hated strawberry, opting for the more bitter chocolate milk instead. Shizuo finished putting everything into a tray and lift it, stepping back to walk out the kitchen. He tripped on something small, and almost spilled everything.

A tiny grasp was heard, but Izaya didn't like to show any discomfort in the first place, so Shizuo didn't ask if he'd hurt him.

Instead he handed him a bowl of cereal, and he helped carry it to the table.

"So... I told you not to go too close to the stairs, right, Izaya-kun?"

"Take care... myself... perfect" He said with a little humph, to which Shizuo laughed. It has been a week and Izaya is learning fast. He is already pretty agile already, though Shizuo don't know if climbing onto things is a universal characteristic of children or not.

"When I meet sisters?" The little raven asked.

That was the curious feature about the child Izaya. He had asked after his sisters about three hundred million times since Shizuo found him.

And that was hardly an exaggeration, the tiny boy almost asked it often enough to tick off Shizuo again.

He would have to call Kasuka soon, and ask him to get them here.

He hope they would come... The adult version of Izaya doesn't seem to have an admirable relationship with his sisters, and the notion was as strongly retaliated.

"When do you want?" He asked.

Shizuo saw a contemplating face, much like those times before Izaya would seem to come up with something and then laughed maniacally. He braced himself to hear the childish shrieking version of that laugh, but what came out was only an uncertain answer.

"...This afternoon?"

"That's probably a bit too soon, but it depends on my younger brother as well, if you'll be quiet, I'm going to call him now."

 _So Shizuo has a younger brother._ Izaya observed. The blond would probably have been scared at the too familiar gaze from the little boy.

Izaya have not changed, he was just reset into his earlier self. Still observant, intelligent, and possessive. The pushing people away part wasn't as strong, he had not yet developed the maniacal attitude crafted to veil his uncertainties. He had not met the fascinating, violent Heiwajima Shizuo.

Instead he met the caring one, and that's going to change him.

"Alright, Kasuka, thank you so much. Sorry to be bothering you like this, I know you're busy with filming these days... Ok thanks again. See ya."

 _Shizuo's brother has a job about movies._ Thought Izaya, his large childish eyes looking up at Shizuo who just put his phone into his pocket. The said man turned to meet the curious eyes, and mussed his hair.

There was a knock on the door, and Shizuo smiled, "Before your sisters, how about first meeting my friends."

Izaya thought he knew perfectly what he was doing. After all, he had his fair share dealing with supernatural beings, the most substantial being the fallen angel Dullahan, with whom he could still contact. What would go wrong? What _could_ go wrong?

The informant of course knows the kind of information that would gain him incomparable superiority over not only people in his field of work, but also politicians, physicians, philosophers, and ordinary humans of the world.

He had finally found a clue to the information, a lead.

Izaya knew he was risking himself when he decided to follow the scent personally, but information of this grade can't be allowed to even whiff past anyone.

So, in disguise, he adjusted his hat, fixed on a normal friendly smile, and knocked on the door of the old house.

Second chapter, TBC ;)


	3. Chapter3

Izaya kept a wary eye on Celty. She doesn't have a head, and people not having a head is wrong. It's scary, and it's tying knots in Izaya's little stomach.

Yet everyone else acted all ok about Celty, even Shizuo.

Izaya didn't pay close attention on the conversation yet, the threatening being needed to have an eye on, and it was approaching Izaya.

He felt a spike of panic, that he has to run away, hide, pull a blanket over his head until all this passed. He stumbled back one step, and a thought froze him.

He needed to protect his sisters. He needed to be here, waiting for Shizuo to bring them for him. He might have to protect Shizuo too. He was an adult, far bigger than Izaya, but he's also too kind.

Izaya knows where knives are kept, and he was sure he knows how to use it.

And so he stood his guard, while Celty came up to him and thrusted some square thing into his face. He blinked. It was some kind of drab screen.

"Celty, I don't think Izaya can read yet."

Celty quickly tapped a lot on the square thing, and this time thrust it into Shizuo's face. Izaya rushed over threateningly and pulled at her other arm.

"No hurt Shizuo!" He threatened. And somehow, Izaya got a feeling that the creature smiled, even without a face. Like she's saying, "What a cute little kid!"

"Ah, Izaya, Celty is my friend. You can trust her. She might be strange but she is a good person."

"…..a good person?" Izaya repeated, then fixed his big doe eye at Celty again.

A tense moment passed, and a frown twisted itself into existence on the young face. "Shizuo is too kind! No trust Celty yet!"

Celty jumped in surprise, and knelt down to Izaya's height, making calming gestures.

"Sorry, Celty. Izaya's a little…. untrusting." Shizuo said. And with the introductions over, Izaya went to the corner of the room, pretending to play quietly. In fact, the young ears were pointed and ready to overhear any of the conversation.

Granted, he could hear only Shizuo's part of the conversation, and thus didn't piece together much details. Until Shizuo called him over.

"Alright, Izaya, let's get you to meet Shinra."

Like any new mom, Shizuo is coming to learn to carry a small bag with him wherever he goes. Its contents? Bottles of milk, a small lunch box, cleaning wipes, diapers, and change of clothing.

Izaya is an intelligent child, and he's already learned to use the potty, but outside of the apartment things could be…. unfortunate.

Riding behind Celty on her black bike, with Izaya sandwiched in between, Shizuo felt in the bag in case he forgot anything. Everything seemed to be in place.

Then, scarcely before Shizuo could put his hand back around the tiny waist of the child Izaya, he leaned heavily to one side, struggling to see the front view beyond Celty's encompassing back.

This caused the bike to swerve to the other side abruptly as Celty suddenly has to balance out the shifted weight. "Izaya! No! Sit properly, Izaya!" Shizuo shouted over the wind, holding on tight to the frail small body.

Izaya flinched and immediately corrected his seat, laying one cheek against Celty's black bodysuit.

"Don't surprise me like that!" He shouted over the wind. And Izaya nodded slightly to let him know he gets it. His eyes were wide though, and even if his hands have to be wrapped around Celty's waist, Shizuo could tell he was longing to wrap them around himself, where Shizuo had held onto him.

In his surprise and fear for Izaya's safety, Shizuo had probably squeezed too tightly. It might even bruise up later.

Instantly he regretted it, but told himself that it was better than having Izaya falling off a fast moving bike onto the highway, where he might even be run over by cars.

Still, the conscience remains. What if Izaya come to hate him, again? What if Izaya come to see him as a violent monster, again?

He doesn't know just when he had become this concerned over the little child's opinion, but now, he couldn't take his mind off it.

This dampened Shizuo's mood for the rest of the ride.

"Awwww, Izaya! You're so cute!"

Izaya looked startled, and run back halfway to Shizuo before halting suddenly with a bewildered expression on his face.

As if he'd suddenly got lost.

So, it was Shizuo himself who knelt down to the small child and put a protective arm between him and Shinra.

"Shinra, you're scaring him."

Shinra put a hand behind his head apologetically, "Ah, sorry."

"So, if the story you told me was true, what do you want me to do?"

Shizuo was actually set off a bit by this question. He didn't know what he really expected by telling Shinra everything. He had honestly never thought of it.

Shinra continued,

"I don't reckon you want me to find a way to turn him back, if that's even possible? The real problem then would be taking care of the child Izaya. Do you want me to contact an orphanage? Or do you want to... dispose of him?"

"No!" Shizuo said more forcefully than he'd expected of himself.

"No, on both counts."

"Then, what are you going to do? I don't want to offend but, can you of all people take care of a child, Shizuo? Not only your temper problems and unusual strength, but also the time commitment and the money... it's no easy thing raising children, I assume."

"Ah... for that, there's no problem with money, I just use what's in the bast— Izaya's own accounts. The guy's filthy rich, we can live off that for a long time yet. I'm taking my time off work for a while... Tom-san understands."

Shinra nodded sympathetically, but there was a slight dry smile on his face.

"As for my temper... well, after taking time off work and staying with Izaya, I'm not... getting angry as often. I'm even in a semi-good mood most of the time."

Shinra gasped threatrically.

"Who would think children would be the undoing of the mighty Beast of Ikebukuro!!"

"Beast of Kekeikuburo?" Izaya said asked looking up with that wide, innocent eyes.

The adults jumped at the sudden question. Especially Shizuo.

The Beast of Ikebukuro removed his sunglasses and looked at the little Izaya, dreading his reaction.

"Why Shizuo Beast of Ikubeburo?" Izaya asked innocently, "Shizuo is kind. Shizuo is good person. Shizuo not a beast!" He asserted determinedly.

Shizuo knelt beside Izaya and lifted the edge of his small shirt a little. Everyone could see the purpling marks of Shizuo's fingers around Izaya's torso, the beginnings of a bad bruise.

"This is why people call me a beast, Izaya. I'm too strong. I hurt people."

Izaya snatched his shirt and pulled it back in place, his expression was fierce.

"Shizuo isn't a beast! Shizuo is strong, Shizuo protects people!" He wraps his arms around his torso, crouching to the ground, "Shizuo protect me from falling dead. Shizuo is kind."

Shinra and Celty shared a glance.

Shizuo reached over to the crouching Izaya, and pulled him into a gentle embrace.

Of all people, Izaya _understands_.

Izaya panted just slightly, and brushed the rotted wood scraps off his clothing.

Nobody answered the cottage door, so he'd had to force his way in. Granted, this wooden cottage seemed to have stood against the weather for a century, so the crumbling door wasn't that hard to get through.

Once inside, Izaya adjusted his hat, and looked around.

The disguise was for naught after all, he hadn't met the Youkai in question— or maybe he had.

The Youkai might be standing right in front of him, and he couldn't see.

Either way, he had spotted the object he was looking for.

It was not any particular object he was looking for, exactly, but the discrepancy in the age of the objects.

And there it was, a brand new clock, hanging from the weathered wall.

"Bingo." Izaya smirked.


End file.
